Ewing, who won a national championship with the Hoyas in 1984, has been an assistant coach in the NBA for 15 seasons, most recently with the Charlotte Hornets.

Ewing was a star for legendary head coach John Thompson Jr. while at Georgetown and now replaces his son, John Thompson III, who was fired on March 23 after 13 seasons at the helm.

Basketball insiders and pundits had wondered whether Georgetown would think differently from hiring anyone associated with the Thompson family, or maintain historical ties, which bringing on Ewing does. According to several uncited sources, Ewing wasn’t the first choice, with several high profile names turning the job down.

Ewing will get the chance to re-kindle an old rivalry with St. John’s head coach Chris Mullin, as the two locked horns during four years of Big East basketball in the 1980s.